The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-09

Chickens and Men the Only Animals That
Proclaim Their Achievements.
The following is the latest production from the
pen of the Plymouth pastor. It will probably
prove to be his last final contribution to itera-
last week.
CACKLING.
Some words in the English language are sus~
ceptible of many shades of meaning. but cack-
ling is word confined to one animal and to one
functional condition. The barnyard fowl has,
so far we informed, the sole prerogative
of sounding out over all the neighborhood the
| arrival Of new egg! She is no braggart, boast
ing of what she is going to do. Indeed, her per-
formanceS are meditated in profound secrecy.
Let no one notice me- she seems to say. while
stealing noiselessly under the currant bushes or
along a shaded thicket Is she searching a
choice morsel2 1t would seem feather
falling through the air makes no more noise
than she, lowering darkly about sheltered spots,
stealing toward the NOW with artful pretense of
looking for worm. Her nest2 It is curious to
see what a selection of places she makes. 1t
sometimes is behind pile OF wood, or beneath
the edge of haystack, or in some abandoned
old wagon, or among the trumpery Of wood
house chamber, or under barn, not far into
darkness even, or in hole, but just where light
melts into twilight.
Although laying an egg is daily operation. it
is none the less serious and meditative fact
On the nest she ponders! The very secret of
living organization is beneath her. Science has
proclaimed alb oyo omDia. She does not know
this, but she feels it. Nature is working might
lily within her.
But no sooner is the nest richer by an egg than
new act In the drama of life is set No more
secrecy. No more silence reserve. All the
world must know the good deed done! If the
nest is on high, the hen flies down with queer
outcry between scream and a cackle, but as
her foot touches ground the proclamation begins
n have dow wa
done it" Laid an egg" LAID an egg" Far
of the tidings roll. The distant barn yards SYM
pathize, and send back congratulations. But at
home! Who can tell the JOY that fills every
his throat, cackle answers cackle, now the roost-
err, now the hen, and it is difficult to understand
which of the two laid the egg After while
| the silence is restored, until another hen comes
out crying, II, too; l. too," and the unwearied
| rooster sings base to her soprano Thus it goes
on through the morning. Few birds lay their
eggs except in the early part-of-th day.
These barn-yard cries remain in our memories.
associated with the coming on of spring. with
bright days, after the snow has gone away. The
growing of a cock is associated with the idea of
morning-the cackling of hens with midfore-
noon.
1t is noticeable that birds do not announce
their achievements. They 60 off from their
nest as silently as they go on. Do ducks, mon
keys quail or pheasants, grouse of every name,
publish their achievements
Nor do we know of any animal that makes
known the birth of its offspring. A calf or colt
is born and no word said about it. The fox, the
wolf. regard the fact as enough. The lion. per-
hapa, reflects that the birth of its whe,p will be
known soon enough. Man alone cackies-not at
the birth of his offspring, but at his deeds and
attainments, with often this difference: That a
hen cackles when egg is laid, while men
cacke most when least has been performed.
When one has said a smart thing nothing will
do but he must tell of it; when has performed
feat in running, skating. batting. his house
hold speedily know it. The mother must sweet
| y cackle all the wonderful things that daily are
| developed in the baby. When two three
| mothers get together the whole air resounds
| with the wonderful deeds of wonderful babies
| Men cackle over their festivities, candidates
cackle before their constituents, ministers cackl
| of their churches and churches cacke of their
! ministers; merchants cackle in advertisements
newspapers cackle ad nausea of their subscribers
of their enterprise of their various superioritie
over all other newspapers Indeed, by the
| natural operation of the law of evolution, cack
ling has developed into profession, and report
| ers are trained to await at the nests of event
| and publish to all the world what eggs tn
fecund world has laid every twenty -four hours
Our cackle is ended and we fv off from tn
| nest with modest consciousness of tho value Q
one egg.